Cat Health News Blog

A resource for dedicated cat supporters

Since its start in 2007, Cat Health News has featured the latest information on feline health. The bi-weekly blog is a mix of the most current published research from Winn-funded research and other sources. There are over 570 blog items and more than 1,000 subscribers through the RSS feed.

Finding new and effective drugs against feline Tritrichomonas fetus

MT12-011 : Utilization of an in vitro luciferase assay to determine efficacy of novel 5-nitroimidazole derivatives and proton pump inhibitors against ronidazole-resistant and susceptible feline Tritrichomonas fetus isolates; $23,800 (Winn-funded study final report)Stanley L. Marks, BVSc, PhD, DACVIM, DACVN, University of California-Davis; Kirkwood M. Land PhD, University of the Pacific

The investigators in this study examined the potential for a variety of drugs as chemotherapeutic agents against important protozoal pathogens of cats. These drugs fall into several different categories or classes of compounds – anti-nucleoside analogs, 5-nitro-imindazoles, and an FDA approved drug (auronafin). The investigators identified several compounds that had potent activity against all three parasites examined (human Trichomonas vaginalis, bovine Tritrichomona foetus, and feline Tritrichomonas foetus).

The findings lay the groundwork for future studies to develop these compounds for use in cats. In addition, the investigators are characterizing the genomic sequence for these parasites which will also reveal potential candidates for chemotherapeutics against them. The sum total of this project has laid the groundwork for development of effective drugs to combat this parasitic agent.
A manuscript on the adenosine analogs is in process and one more planned as the result of the new 5-nitro-imidazole studies done here. (MK)